Panel mounted socket unit with supporting strip



Aug. 5, 1952 MATYAs E 2,606,226

I PANEL MOUNTED SOCKET UNIT WITH SUPPORTING STRIP I Filed Aug. 23, 1949 a d rim- INVENTOR5- fizz/2k d /Lfag/m 31 050 efiiolzrleuz,

Patented Aug. 5, 1952 PANEL MOUNTED SOCKET WITH SUPPORTING STRIP Frank A. Matyas and George Mohrlein, Chicago, 111., assignors to Tingstol Company, Chicago,

111., a partnership Application August 23, 1949; Serial No. 111,776

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved and simplified socket unit of the type, for example, which is commonly employed in considerable numbers on the lamp panels of pin ball amusement machines. The invention particularly concerns certain provisions for expediting the mounting of the socket on the panel in secure, displacement-resisting relation thereto.

The above mentioned pinball amusement machines, and also other more or less related devices, are characterized by a plurality of small electric lamps mounted in bayonet-type sockets carried by a flat panel of plyboard or other rigid, sheet-like material. In assembling the sockets to a panel of this sort, the panel is provided with an appropriate number and arrangement of circular socket receiving holes, after which the small, cylindrical sockets are inserted in said holes and clinched thereto, so as to resist rotation relative to the panel or displacement therefrom.

Various sorts of socket securing provisions have heretofore been employed in installations of the foregoing type. For example, individual staples or stitches, applied by an automatic stapling device, are sometimes used to fasten the socket to the panel. In other instances a fastening brad or staple is formed integral with the base plate on which the socket is mounted and is driven into the panel. In still other installations a separate screw, nail or brad is employed. These arrangements are more or less time consuming in the use thereof, and in some instances are unreliable in that the fastening means tends to become loose in time, permitting relative movement of the lamp socket in the mounting panel. Moreover, it occasionally happens that the operation of installing thesocket places sufiicient mechanical strain on the electrical connections thereto to cause shorting of the lamp circuit. I 7

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive mounting or assembly for a lamp socket or like element which is especially well adapted for use in gangs in a previously drilled panel, which is adapted to be applied quickly and easily to said panel and which, so applied, is securely retained against displacement or rotation relative to said panel.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a socket unit of the foregoing type having improved provisions for securing the same to a mounting panel in the form of an element projecting forwardly of the unit and clampingly engageable with the side of the panel opposite that from which the unit is inserted, said element 2 acting to bite into or embed itself in the ma-- terial of the panel in a manner to restrain ro" tation of the unit, in addition to preventing rearward displacement thereof. v 3

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general Way of the nature of the invention, but other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the device. v

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of illustration, but it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings, I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved socket and socket mounting unit of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section-through the unit of the invention, illustrating structural details thereof and showing the unit in its operative relation to a mounting panel, "the final clinched position of the securing tongue-of said of a special crimping and locking tool;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in section along line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a view in section along line 1'! of Fig. 4. I l

Referring to Figs. 1, 2. and 3, the reference numeral It generally designateskthe improved socket unit of the present invention.- This includes a thin walled, cylindrical metal'conducting shell H of an appropriate diameter to receive a small, conventional, bayonet-type incandescent lamp, said shell being provided with appropriate bayonet slots l2 for this purpose.

A socket mounting and terminal plate I3 is assembled in electrically conducting contact with the rear wall IA of the socket II, as illustrated in Fig. 2, said socket wall and plate l3 being apertured to receive a clamping eyelet or grommet l5. This grommet serves as a portion of one terminal of the socket, being located centrally and internally thereof. An insulating washer is interposed between the grommet l5 and the inner surface of the socket end wall it and said grommet is spaced from the aperture in said wall which receives the same in order to prevent short circuiting. The plate I3 is electrically energized through a lead shown in dotted lines and designated [8, which lead is clamped between .thebendable contact arms H) which are struck from the material of the plate.

A further insulating washer is interposed between the mounting plate I 3 and a metallic terminal strip 2| which is clamped by thegrommet [5. This strip 20 is apertured at 22 to facilitate the securing or soldering thereto of a further terminal 18'. A coil spring .23 frictionally secured in the grommet IS in electrically conductive relation thereto serves to engage against the center terminal of the lamp disposed in socket I l, and to transmit current to said ter minal, the circuit being completed through the outer conducting band of the lamp, spring 23 also urges the lamp outwardly to maintain a snugengagement or" the usual lugs thereof in the bayonet slots l2 in a well known fashion.

Themountingplate i3 is provided with an integral clamping tongue 25 disposed at a right angle to the plane of said plate and in relatively close- .ly -spaced relation to the wall of the socket ll.

-Said tongue 25 projects forwardly of the socket, being of suificient length to forwardly overextend the outer surface of the panel 26 in which the-socket is to be mounted, as illustrated in Figs.

.2 and 4. Its side edges taper forwardly from a widthwhichis only slightly less than the diameter of the socket to a forward terminal nose portion 25' of substantially lesser width. This imparts substantial rigidity to the tongue, adaptingthe same to embed itself in the material of the panel 26 when the socket unit is operatively mounted on the latter.

In assembling the above described unit to the panel ,26, the socket H is manually inserted into .apreviously prepared circular hole 2! of said ;panel, until the mounting plate l3 abuts the rear surfaceof said panel. Hole 21 is somewhat larger in diameter than the socket, to accommodate the tongue .25, and inthus inserting the socket the tapered clamping tongue 25 bites into the material .of the panel, as illustrated in Fig. 7, thus acting as a key to-resist relative rotation of the :lamp socket and panel.

"When the socket has been fully inserted in :thehole 21-, the forwardly projecting portion 25' of the clamping tongue 25 is deflected 90 into clamping engagement with the forward surface of panel26, thus to hold the unit permanently in proper position. In performing the last named operation, 'we preferably employ the special tool illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and designated by the reference numeral 28. This includes a pair of arms 29, 30 pivoted to one another at 3| and normally spring urged apart by the coil spring 39 acting therebetween. Arm 29 is provided with .a cylindrical, transversely extending bore 32 which slidably receives an ironing or clinching pin 33 which is fixedly carried by a head 34. The head 34 is provided with a longitudinal bore which is disposed in longitudinally overlapped, telescoped relation to a forward extension of the arm 30 of the device. Head 34 is also provided with elongated cam slots 35 opening to said bore, which slotsreceive the laterally projecting lugs '36 carried by said arm 30. Accordingly, as the arms 29, 30 are brought together, the head 34 and its attached clinching pin 33 are shifted inwardly. The pin is provided with a flattened ironing surface 38 which engages the projecting extremity of the clamping tongue 25 as the pin advances in bore 32, ironing the tongue over into clamping engagement with the front surface of the panel 26, as illustrated in Fig. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 7. This ironing action serves to draw the socket ll forwardly in the panel bore 21, hence a snug, tight engagement of the mounting plate l3 with the rear of the panel is insured. A reduced noseZS on the arm 29 facilitates positioning of the device 28 relative to the socket.-

Those skilled in the art will perceive the possibility of various modifications of the above described structure, hence we desire that the invention be construed no more limitedly than is consistent with the following claim.

We claim:

Asocket unit comprising a socket having a cylindrical wall and adapted for the reception of a bayonet-type lamp or related element to mount the same in an apertured support, and a mounting plate in fixed relation to said socket at the rear thereof, said plate being provided with a contact element and including a single integral, forwardly projecting securing tongue of generally flat strip-like outline which extends externally of said cylindrical socket wall and parallel to the axis of said socket in closely spaced outward relation to said wall, said tongue having opposed, forwardly convergent edge tapering forwardly from a tongue Width only slightly less than the diameter of said socket walls, which edges are embeddingly engageable in the material of said suppjort as said socket and tongue are driven forwardly into said aperture.

FRANK A. MA'I'YAS; GEORGE MOHRLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,509,070 Kerwin Sept. 16, 1924 2,220,515 Foute Nov. 5, 1940 2,459,390 Olson Jan. 18, 1949 2,465,753 Ross Mar. 29, 1949 2,505,163 Wanner Apr. 25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 188,535 Germany Nov. 27, 1906 

